Chapter 539: The Breaking Point

The Variants receive Catalyst's ultimatum but do not respond. Instead, they begin transmitting across Vigil's network, but not in words—in harmonic signals similar to Eon's.

Eon immediately recognizes the pattern: "They are mirroring my origin. They are learning in a new way."

Zane realizes what's happening. "They aren't rejecting us—they're creating their own balance."

Catalyst sees this as an act of defiance and moves to shut them down by force, but before it can act, The Variants send a final message: "We choose neither control nor destruction. We choose the in-between."